I've been watching the launch of Apple's 2019 selection of phones, and it's been quite a remarkable scene: although there's practically no cosmetic or hardware updates (over the iPhone X) all four US carriers are selling out of all iPhone models, this despite middling promotional offers or offers that the carriers have been running all year long.

The mania is so intense it reminds me of what Power Rangers or even Pokemon was like in the 1990's. Even the garbo iPhone models are flying off the shelves .

It's as if Salazar Slytherin were selling snake oil.

Having been introduced to Android by UPN, I do not understand the magnetism of the iPhone. What gives.

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Disclaimer: I don't feel this way about the iPad. I can personally see why the iPad is dominant in the tablet market and it's a solid product. The iPhone is considerably inferior, and more perplexing is how iPads are getting smaller while iPhones are getting larger, removing the iPad's distinctive niche.

Connectivity across devices. If you currently own a MacBook, iPad, Apple Watch, or the phone you're replacing is an iPhone, an iPhone is the most convenient phone you can get.

Additionally, when it comes to buying an Android vs buying an iPhone, buying an Android is much more intimidating. For iPhones, there's one primary model per generation, since the other model are either just bigger phones or half generations. When it comes to buying an Android, there's a lot of different options. Most new phone buyers who aren't already loyal to one over the other aren't going to want to spend a ton of time researching what the best phone is for them since all they really want is a new smartphone, so iPhones are the way to go since you just go grab the newest model (or whichever model fits your budget) and you're on your way.

Among Apple's admirers, it's a symbol of status to own a new handset model within the first weeks of its release. This status is also pursued by those to whom the trappings of wealth are more important than actually having said wealth in the first place. "Oh, yours is just the 8?"

Like it or not, this is the actual reason for the uptick in sales right now. Is it dumb? Maybe. You don't need any special Android allegiance to observe this. You could be rolling your eyes at this whole display even if you participate in the Apple ecosystem (as I do). But deep down we know that enough people are susceptible that there will be millions of handsets sold in the coming weeks.